Smurfit Westrock has worked with Nestlé to create a new paper ‘tin’ for its Quality Street sweets, to help the company drive down emissions.
The Christmas favourite’s new packaging is the first of its kind to hit supermarket shelves in England and Wales, where it is now available.
It is not yet available in Irish stores.
Nestlé originally approached the packaging company as part of its ongoing initiative to reduce the use of virgin plastic in its operations.
The redesign also enables more boxes to fit on a pallet, which reduces travel space and has the potential to significantly reduce the company’s CO2 emissions.
The introduction of the paper tub follows Nestlé’s change to paper wrappers for Quality Street sweets in 2022, which diverted over two billion wrappers from landfill.
Now, both the box and the wrappers are eligible for easy at-home recycling.
The paper box retains the iconic hexagonal shape and purple colour, and it is available alongside the traditional plastic version in Tesco stores across England and Wales.
Both products are the same size and contain the same weight of chocolates.
‘A Standout Solution’
Speaking about the new design, the chief executive of Europe, MEA and APAC at Smurfit Westrock, Saverio Mayer, said, “The innovative new tub we created in collaboration with Nestlé is an excellent example of how a paper-based replacement can bring a host of benefits across design, functionality, and, of course, sustainability.
“We knew that this iconic brand needed a standout solution that would look the part on shelf, as well as seamlessly integrate into consumers’ household recycling.
“It will hopefully appeal to the growing number of consumers who are seeking out more sustainable packaging for their favourite products.”
The senior brand manager for Quality Street, Jemma Handley, added, “We’re looking forward to seeing what Quality Street fans make of the paper tub.
“A lot of care and hard work has gone into the trial, and we’re proud to be the first major manufacturer to trial a paper tub at Christmas.
“The beautiful design has been devised specifically for a paper product, and we love how it looks – and, of course, shoppers can expect the same great-tasting Quality Street sweets they know and love inside.”
